Cove Mountain

About Cove Mountain

Tucked between Slieve Beg and Slieve Lamagan, this rugged granite peak is defined by the impressive, vertical Cove Crags on its eastern flank. The rocky summit offers a grandstand view over the Annalong Valley towards the Irish Sea, making it a staple of any High Mournes circuit from Carrick Little.

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Did You Know?

• •The mountain takes its name from the 'Cove Caves' located on its eastern slopes. In the Mournes, 'Cove' is a local dialect variation of 'cave,' referring to the deep natural fissures and overhangs found within the granite crags.
• •The eastern face features a geological oddity known as the Granite Stairs, a steep, tiered series of rocky steps that provides a direct, albeit strenuous, scrambling line toward the summit for those avoiding the standard grassy tracks.
• •From the summit cairn, walkers are treated to a perfectly framed view of the blue waters of the Ben Crom Reservoir, set deep in the valley between the steep slopes of Slieve Commedagh and the Silent Valley catchment.
• •One of the caves on the eastern flank is famously large enough to provide genuine shelter from the elements; it has been used by generations of Mourne walkers and was historically a reputed hiding place for illicit distillers and smugglers moving goods inland from the coast.
• •Despite the name, do not arrive expecting a sandy beach or a gentle bay; the 'Cove' here consists of vertical granite and cold shadows, where the only thing likely to be 'lapping' is the wind against your waterproofs.